Pot Fiction

The use of marijuana has been banned in Canada since 1923, yet the drug is more popular there than ever before. With the legalization of marijuana occurring in many regions around the world, Canadians have urged the government to consider similar steps. But the Canadian government has assured its people that the measure of legalization will never come to fruition in their country.

The political and social debate swirling around this contentious issue lies at the heart of the new documentary titled Pot Fiction. The film opens as CBC News correspondent Mark Kelley enters the Canna Clinic, an establishment which disperses medical marijuana to eligible patients. After undergoing a breezy 65 second consultation with a medical professional via skype, Kelley exits the clinic as a card carrying member and legally minted marijuana recipient. Medical marijuana has been legal in Canada since 2001 under strict governmental regulations. But with public demand rising and more and more such clinics opening on a continual basis, these regulations have largely been railroaded, and law enforcement has largely turned a blind eye to a practice too widespread to condemn.

Now, marijuana dispensaries can be found in restaurants, smoothie shops and assorted vending machines which populate countless corner shops. The business of pot is fully commercialized, and in spite of its illegal status in the country's law enforcement codes, its presence is hiding in plain sight. The production of the drug resembles that of a pharmaceutical assembly line, where samples are carefully engineered to provide to varying potencies and symptom-relieving benefits.

The corporatized acceptance of marijuana as a legitimate public interest is certainly at odds with the government's denouncement of the drug, yet even some public officials have embraced the emerging industry through their voices and their wallets. Given its unprecedented popularity, this may very well be a case of the public assuming a more forward-thinking approach than their policy makers. Pot Fiction effectively probes the intricacies of this ongoing debate, and points to a future where public demand and unlimited reams of income could work to redefine these long-held legal restrictions.

10 Comments / User Reviews

awful_truth

A great documentary that hits the nail right on the head; that grass will be legalized because;
1) it is far less dangerous than alcohol.
2) America's war on drugs has been toppled due to economic pressure.
3) Queen Harper's days are numbered! (Conservatives haven't balanced a budget since they took office - welcome back Trudeau turf)
P.S: it should be noted that there will still be strong political pressure to keep grass illegal, because that is how the American government obtained money to create slush funds for regime change. (illegal wars/ bypassing Congress)
Any questions?

Terry Chambers

You are selling yourself soap, my friend. I put a little arsenic in my AM coffee -- It so much less poisonous than cyanide.

awful_truth

I am unsure what point you are trying to make Terry. (I got the sarcasm) Are you anti-grass, pro alcohol, anti-conspiracy??? Please clarify.

Jordan Camp

Good point about the political pressure for getting funding for illegal wars. It should also be noted that the privately owned prison industry is grown very large because of the War on Drugs and you can bet they will be lobbying congress to prevent legalization as well

awful_truth

I couldn't have said it better myself Jordan! Keep up the good work.

root

The first part of the prohibition that has to go is the prevention of people from growing their own for private purposes, whether self medicating or recreational.

Then we can go from there to licensing for commercial purposes on a scheme similar to alcohol.

Akherousia

Okay, but does it actually demonstrate a fair representation of the pros and cons of marijuana or is it just another in a long line of marijuana related documentaries that serve as nothing more than a mere pat on the back and echo chamber for those who already support it's legalization?

I want to learn about what pot actually does and explore why it should be legalized as well as why it shouldn't, not watch yet another documentary that simply forcefeeds it's own personal bias. Does it even talk about how pot's potency has increased since the 70's? Does it talk about how the attempt to create more potent pot by increasing levels of THC decreases levels of the antipsychotic cannibidiol, leading to a very unfortunate risk of triggering schizophrenia in those with a predisposition to the condition? Does it explore any of these factors or more, or does it gloss over them entirely? Because whether you're for or against it's legalization, we owe it to ourselves to consider the big picture before making a decision and I've watched too many documentaries on the subject to pretend they're not just overly biased agenda pushers on average.

BS Buster

Akherousia there are multitudes of docos on the science of cannabis and all of the science concludes with shock at the lies told by self interested parties influencing govt policy for their own ends.
As for pot potency increasing, you have swallowed govt propaganda not fact. High THC varieties have become more popular with the unregulated black market but to claim that 70 years of prohabition has resulted in an increase of THC in all varietes is unfounded lies.
Yes we do owe it to our selves to see the bigger picture including the following,
Govt participation in promoting propaganda
Corporate and agency empires interest in keeping it illegal
The morality of brutilizing people for plant possession
Does the consequences of prohabition out weigh the consequences of pot use

So many more questions to answer regarding the mental midgets who want to keep this failed drug war running with no regard for facts and accountability. If the science finds prohabition was unfounded and a complete failure how about we penalize the proponents of prohabition for their inhumanity and crimes against humanity ?

C Almeida

It's (legalization) not gonna happen. Pretty boy trudeau used it as a mechanism to get stoners on his side. Maybe next election, and so on...

EliteStoner

Akherousia, from what you've said so far it doesn't sound very much like you are looking for an objective viewpoint. Just one that mirrors your own ideas against legalization. "Does it even talk about how pot's potency has increased since the 70's? Does it talk about how the attempt to create more potent pot by increasing levels of THC decreases levels of the antipsychotic cannibidiol, leading to a very unfortunate risk of triggering schizophrenia in those with a predisposition to the condition?" I see no even ground here.